The PGA Tour, Phoenix Open & Hypocrisy
At the onset of this article, let me state unequivocally that I have zero problem with the 16th hole at the Waste Managemenet Phoenix Open. Everyone remotely tuned in to the world of professional golf knows that this week’s tour stop is less of a golf tournament and more of a 4-day boozer with the epicenter of the rave taking place at the par-3 16th hole. Not only do the WM Phoenix Open organizers (The Firebirds) raise a lot of money for charity each year, they have also found a way to make a ordinary tour stop must see television each and every year - a feat that is becoming increasingly difficult in 2019.
Nope - this article has more to do about the hypocrisy which runs deep within the PGA Tour. While the Tour deserves praise for new initiatives and bring live golf coverage into the 21st century with streaming options, there are other times where the Tour plays favorites between tournaments and seemingly contradicts it’s own rules.
The 16th hole at the Phoenix Open was not the original party hole. That distinction went to the now defunct Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan and the 17th hole. Back in the late 80s, not only was the behavior of the patrons on the 17th hole rowdy, but it drew the ire of many of the Tour players in that day including Lee Trevino. While Tour players today embrace the 16th hole in Phoenix and play up to the crowds, the old guard in the late 80s and early 90s shunned the partying atmophshere at Warwick Hills.
And the Tour agreed. They stepped in and quietly took action to make sure that the crowd at 17 was much more demure. They didn’t want to hole to become a party - they wanted the galler
y to be demure and reserved. And while the 17th hole was the most vocal on the course, when the tournament was in its final year (due to GM's bankruptcy and bailout from the federal government), it was a shadow of its former self.
Fast forward to this weekend. TPC Scottsdale's 17th hole will be completely enclosed with 20,000
screaming patrons surrounding the negligible par-3. The drinks will be flowing early, chants will erupt, and unlike the tour membership in 1989, the players will embrace the party-like atmosphere. Like those who packed the 17th hole in Grand Blanc, the 16th hole fans will be more concerned with their next drink than who is on the tee. And while that formula has worked for The Firebirds and the Phoenix community in keeping that event a highlight on the PGA Tour schedule, the tour's hypocritical position worked to the detriment of Michigan's only PGA Tour event. And the Tour's hypocrisy continues today with their media policies. The Tour seems more concerned with following corporate rules and protocols and less concerned with connecting with the fans and providing them an enjoyable experience and access to content online. Sorry but if you want to #LiveUnderPar, you don't tell a notoriously rowdy hole at one tournament to tone it down while allowing another to build it up.
Nope - this article has more to do about the hypocrisy which runs deep within the PGA Tour. While the Tour deserves praise for new initiatives and bring live golf coverage into the 21st century with streaming options, there are other times where the Tour plays favorites between tournaments and seemingly contradicts it’s own rules. 
The 16th hole at the Phoenix Open was not the original party hole. That distinction went to the now defunct Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan and the 17th hole. Back in the late 80s, not only was the behavior of the patrons on the 17th hole rowdy, but it drew the ire of many of the Tour players in that day including Lee Trevino. While Tour players today embrace the 16th hole in Phoenix and play up to the crowds, the old guard in the late 80s and early 90s shunned the partying atmophshere at Warwick Hills. And the Tour agreed. They stepped in and quietly took action to make sure that the crowd at 17 was much more demure. They didn’t want to hole to become a party - they wanted the galler
y to be demure and reserved. And while the 17th hole was the most vocal on the course, when the tournament was in its final year (due to GM's bankruptcy and bailout from the federal government), it was a shadow of its former self.
Fast forward to this weekend. TPC Scottsdale's 17th hole will be completely enclosed with 20,000
screaming patrons surrounding the negligible par-3. The drinks will be flowing early, chants will erupt, and unlike the tour membership in 1989, the players will embrace the party-like atmosphere. Like those who packed the 17th hole in Grand Blanc, the 16th hole fans will be more concerned with their next drink than who is on the tee. And while that formula has worked for The Firebirds and the Phoenix community in keeping that event a highlight on the PGA Tour schedule, the tour's hypocritical position worked to the detriment of Michigan's only PGA Tour event. And the Tour's hypocrisy continues today with their media policies. The Tour seems more concerned with following corporate rules and protocols and less concerned with connecting with the fans and providing them an enjoyable experience and access to content online. Sorry but if you want to #LiveUnderPar, you don't tell a notoriously rowdy hole at one tournament to tone it down while allowing another to build it up. 
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